Stress Management: Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

Stress can come from your own thinking errors that can create a rather pessimistic and hopeless view of the future. Arguing with yourself can help you create a new perspective when you are thinking negatively, with a bleak picture that brings much unnecessary stress. Here are some useful challenges and quick questions to ask yourself:

Am I over-reacting here?

Do I have any real evidence that my predictions will come true?

Haven’t I been wrong in the past about what I thought would happen?

Because something happened once or twice, does that mean it will always happen?

How can I tie my entire self-worth to one bit of failure or disapproval?

What advice would I give someone else who was thinking the way I am?

Most of the bad things I’m imagining probably won’t happen.

Accept uncertainty! There are lots of things in life you can’t control.

Don’t assume the worst!

Thoughts aren’t facts! You don’t always have to trust them.

I can come up with a new game plan to change things. Let me look at this differently.